The model is a composite of research in reading performance of L2 learners from the perspective of psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, cognitive psychology and theories of cross-linguistic transfer of literacy skills. Heuristic analysis explains miscues and confusions in students' oral performance and levels of comprehension.
Findings are that students applied phonics rules consistently.
Most miscues were in reading unfamiliar words. Confusions were attributed to lack of background knowledge and cultural concepts. Features of text including idiomatic expressions, stylized language and mixing of fantasy and real elements with dialogue also inhibited comprehension. Implications are that teachers should focus on meaning and text structure with bilingual readers to enhance comprehension and consider L2 acquisition factors in interpreting assessment data. Students were all Spanish-dominant but had developed English oral language and biliteracy skills simultaneously Vasconcelos School had a regular American school curriculum taught by American teachers based on an immersion model.