It's Not Like That Here: Teaching Academic Writing and Reading to Novice Writers

"The book is both thought provoking and enjoyable to read and should be read by both novice and long-time college professors of reading and writing." - Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

None of the current books on theory deals with students from rural rather than urban backgrounds-first-generation college students whose behaviors do not match those described in the usual texts on basic writers . . . middle-class, working students who grew up in an isolation that affects the way they look at school, learning, and knowledge . . . older students who are willing to risk failure to make a better life for their families.

In" It's Not Like That Here," Marcia Dickson provides a clearer picture of what is actually happening in this kind of a classroom. She believes that once you identify your students' needs, you can work to overcome their problems. Her book outlines a course of study, recommends ways of using ethnographic research to draw students in, interprets reading/writing strategies that mark basic writers and readers, and offers examples of assignments as well as ways to evaluate students. Theory and practice are combined in such a way that you see how one informs the other.

Dickson has invented a term to describe the type of reading/writing classroom outlined in her book: the Distanced/Personal Classroom. This classroom incorporates students' personal experiences with the theories of academics to promote a better understanding of both.

"It's Not Like That Here" will appeal to teachers at two- and four-year colleges who hope to establish a connection between the academic and non-academic communities.