This study aimed to identify the approaches and strategies employed by teachers in teaching the literature component to less proficient students in Forms 1 and 2 in selected secondary schools in Kelantan, Malaysia. The study was conducted in 18 rural schools. Triangulation involving the questionnaire as the primary data and classroom observation and semi-structured interview as the secondary data was used. Findings show that the information-based approach is popularly employed by teachers, followed by moral-philosophical approach and paraphrastic approach. The findings indicate that the teaching approach is influenced by the students' inability to comprehend English language which forces teachers to spoon feed the students and use the students' mother tongue as the medium of instruction. The implication is that literature teaching with the aims of developing students' language and thinking skills and generating students' personal response and appreciation may not be achieved.