Newcomer Phonics increases phonemic awareness for specific English sounds, such as vowel variations, and contains colorful illustrations and highlighted letters to simplify decoding and make reading English fun. The Student Book presents each new sound in the context of lively Phonics Team adventures. The Phonics Team members— Bev, Nan, Tim, Bob, Kate, Mike, Pete, Sue, and their pets Rose, Tab, Gus — introduce vowels, blends, digraphs, and diphthongs to provide a foundation for reading development.