It has been a while since I last updated my blog, but here I am again, sharing another little adventure from my Year 2 English classroom!

This time, we played two clothing games: a spinning-wheel game and a clothing board game.

For the first game, learners took turns spinning a wheel filled with pictures of clothing items. Their group members had to name the clothing item shown. Simple, right? But the excitement was real!

Next, we moved on to the board game. The learners used their erasers as dice (talk about being resourceful! 😂). They moved forward when they could correctly say the clothing word that matched the picture.

What made me happiest was seeing how focused they were. Both games kept them engaged until the end of our 60-minute lesson! I also noticed learners helping their friends read the clothing words. Those little moments of peer support made the lesson even more meaningful.

Of course, there is still room for improvement, and we will continue practising our clothing vocabulary in different ways.

My biggest takeaway? Learning doesn't always need to look like a worksheet. Sometimes, a spinning wheel, a simple board game, and friends cheering one another on are all we need to make English learning memorable.

Until the next classroom adventure, keep learning and keep smiling!

Learning is more fun with Perky Piung! 🐢💚

#TeacherAsniem #PerkyPiung #Year2English #LearningThroughPlay #EnglishLanguageTeaching

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Make learning fun during the school holidays! 🎉 Students are invited to join our Kahoot Revision Quiz to revise what they have learned in a fun and interactive way.

🗓️ Quiz period: 28–31 August 2026
🔁 Attempts: Students may play the quiz as many times as they like.

Parents are encouraged to assist and motivate their children to participate. A little practice each day can go a long way! 🌟

👉 Join the quiz here:
https://kahoot.it/challenge/02452292?challenge-id=3d8b5bdf-1610-4b5f-8282-78f54428a752_1787811256661

Happy holidays and happy learning!

Kepada ibu bapa/penjaga,

Jadikan masa cuti sekolah lebih menyeronokkan dengan pembelajaran! 🎉 Murid-murid dijemput untuk menyertai Kuiz Ulang Kaji Kahoot bagi mengulang kaji pembelajaran mereka dengan cara yang menyeronokkan dan interaktif.

🗓️ Tempoh kuiz: 28–31 Ogos 2026
🔁 Percubaan: Murid boleh menjawab kuiz sebanyak mana yang mereka mahu.

Ibu bapa digalakkan untuk membantu dan memberi galakan kepada anak-anak untuk menyertai kuiz ini. Sedikit latihan setiap hari pasti membantu! 🌟

👉 Sertai kuiz di sini:
https://kahoot.it/challenge/02452292?challenge-id=3d8b5bdf-1610-4b5f-8282-78f54428a752_1787811256661

Selamat bercuti dan selamat belajar!

One of my favourite moments in teaching is watching my Year 2 learners smile while they are learning. Yesterday was one of those days.

Our learning objective was simple: to read and match clothing vocabulary correctly.

Instead of giving them another worksheet, I decided to turn the lesson into a game.

Getting Ready

Before the lesson, I asked each learner to bring one clothing item from home. I arranged the clothing items on chairs around the classroom by category. (A few learners forgot to bring theirs, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise!)

The learners then formed groups of five.

Each group created number cards from 1 to 10, with each member holding two cards.

To decide whose turn it was, I used the Wheel of Names online. Whenever a number was selected, I played the Perky Piung song as the timer. The classroom instantly became more exciting as everyone hurried to complete the challenge before the music stopped.

The Challenge

The chosen learner had to:

• Read the clothing word from the textbook.

• Find the correct clothing item displayed in the classroom.

• Place the numbered card on the correct item before the music ended.

Since two clothing items were missing (because two learners had forgotten to bring them), there were also two "mystery" cards that had nowhere to go.

At first, I thought this would be a problem.

Instead, it became an unexpected opportunity to assess my learners. They had to think carefully before deciding whether a clothing item was really there or not. Sometimes, the best teaching moments happen by accident!

What I Learned

The activity was full of laughter, teamwork, and excitement. Every group encouraged one another, and it was wonderful to see even the quieter learners becoming involved.

However, the assessment results showed that the learning objective had not been fully achieved yet.

Out of the four groups:

• Two groups correctly matched about 50% of the clothing items.

• The other two groups scored even lower.

Although the scores were not as high as I had hoped, I was not disappointed.

Instead, I saw something even more valuable.

I saw learners reading aloud, discussing answers, helping one another, taking risks, and enjoying English. Those smiles reminded me that learning is a journey, and meaningful learning often takes more than one lesson.

Looking Ahead

This activity definitely deserves another round—but with a different twist.

Next time, I plan to revisit the same vocabulary using new games and activities so that my learners can build stronger recognition and confidence before moving on.

Assessment isn't only about finding out what learners know.

It's also about discovering what we need to teach next.

Yesterday's lesson reminded me that every game can become a valuable assessment, and every assessment can guide better teaching.

And of course, no Perky Piung lesson is complete without the Perky Piung song filling the classroom with happy voices!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we head into the 10-day Eid school break, here is a fun and easy activity for the children.

Please encourage them to watch and sing along with the videos attached:

The aim is simply for them to remember the days and months while enjoying the songs. You may also ask simple questions like “What day is today?” or “What month are we in?”

Thank you for your support. Wishing everyone a joyful Eid celebration and a lovely holiday.

Love,

Teacher Asniem & Perky Piung

---

🌙 Aktiviti Ringkas Cuti Raya – Tahun 2 Zamrud

Ibu bapa dan penjaga yang dihormati,

Sempena cuti sekolah Hari Raya selama 10 hari, murid digalakkan melakukan satu aktiviti ringkas dan menyeronokkan.

Sila galakkan anak-anak menonton dan menyanyi bersama video yang dilampirkan:

- Lagu Hari-hari dalam Seminggu

- Lagu Bulan-bulan dalam Setahun

Tujuannya adalah supaya mereka dapat mengingati nama hari dan bulan dengan lebih mudah melalui nyanyian. Ibu bapa juga boleh bertanya soalan mudah seperti “Hari ini hari apa?” atau “Sekarang bulan apa?”

Terima kasih atas sokongan ibu bapa. Selamat menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri dan selamat bercuti.

Salam,  

Teacher Asniem & Perky Piung

 

This week, I introduced Class Rules Chants to my learners. The chant was actually okay, and they followed my gestures really well. But I kept wondering…

Do they truly understand what they’re saying? 🤔

I noticed they clearly understood the first four rules and the last one, but the middle three? Hmm… they looked a bit lost 😅

Still, I’m not worried. I’ve got a whole year to practise this with them, and I’m staying optimistic!

Alphabet Writing: Slow Progress, But Real Progress

Since I want them to build strong basics, I decided to reinforce alphabet writing first.

By the end of this week, we only reached Letter G — both capital and small letters.

Yes… it’s a long way to go 😭😂

But I’m choosing to take it slow, because I want my learners to:

✅ settle down

✅ build confidence

✅ stay patient with their own progress

…and I guess I should also learn to be patient too? Hahahaha 😆

My Plan After the Alphabet

Once we finish the full alphabet, I plan to move on to:

1. Writing names

2. Writing class / basic personal details

3. Reinforcing class rules again

I’m still not sure how long everything will take, but I’m reminding myself:

Slow and steady is still progress.

Progress Check: Where My Learners Are Now

As of the end of Week 1, here’s the situation in my class of 28 learners:

• 10 learners managed to complete writing up to Letter G

• 5 learners were absent

• 3 learners still had no books (even though I gave them one week to prepare 😭)

So, I sent a parent note to make sure books will be ready by next week.

For the rest of the class, their work was sent home as homework — some with corrections, and some still needing to complete the task.

I really hope to receive their homework on Monday 🤞✨

Next Step: Phonics + Vocabulary

After they’re more confident with letters, I want to start introducing phonics sounds and slowly blend that into vocabulary teaching.

My goal for my learners by the end of this year is:

📌 To be able to read simple sentences

📌 And for some learners, to write simple sentences with guidance, such as:

• substitution tables

• fill in the blanks

It may take time, but I believe consistency will make a difference.

Post-exam season can be tricky — learners are tired, attention is low, and it’s so easy for learning to feel like it’s “already done.” But I wanted my Year 2 Zamrud learners to still experience English in a meaningful way, just without pressure. That’s how Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island was born 🌴🐢

This ebook is a simple documentation of the project, the outcomes, and what I learned as a teacher. I also shared updates throughout the activities in several blog posts, and you can click here.

Reflections from Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island

Every teacher knows this phase.

The exams are over.

The bags are lighter.

The routines are looser.

And suddenly, attention, motivation, and even attendance begin to dip.

The post-year-end examination period is often treated as “filler time,” but I’ve always felt that how we end the year matters just as much as how we begin it. So in 2025, with my Year 2 Zamrud learners, I decided to try something different.

Instead of worksheets or disconnected activities, I designed a small project-based learning experience called Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island: Sharing Stories and the Things We Love.

Why This Project?

The intention was simple.

I wanted my learners to:

• stay engaged after exams

• continue learning without pressure

• feel happy and safe using English

And since Perky Piung had already become a familiar and well-loved learning mascot in our classroom, it felt natural to bring her along on this journey.

If learning had to continue, it had to feel friendly, meaningful, and manageable.

What Did the Project Look Like?

Learners worked in groups of three, but here’s the important part:

👉 each learner completed the task individually.

Every group produced three sets of work — one from each learner.

However, groups could only submit their work once everyone had finished.

This small condition made a big difference.

• Learners supported one another

• No one could “opt out”

• Everyone stayed accountable

The tasks themselves were intentionally simple and familiar:

• copying words and short sentences

• talking about things they love

• creating visual and written project outputs

The focus was never on perfection — it was on participation, effort, and confidence.

What Did the Learners Tell Me?

After the project, I collected feedback through a simple learner survey.

The results were encouraging:

• All learners said they enjoyed learning English with Perky Piung

• Most learners reported feeling happy and engaged during the project

• Nearly all enjoyed talking about themselves, their families, and familiar topics in English

All learners reported enjoying learning English with Perky Piung. This suggests that the use of a familiar learning mascot helped maintain positive emotions and engagement during the post-examination period.

For young learners, these responses matter.

Before accuracy comes confidence.

Before confidence comes emotional safety.

And this project created that space.

What Did the Assessment Show?

From a skills perspective, most learners demonstrated:

• basic to developing writing ability, which was expected for Year 2

• high levels of participation, even among quieter learners

• strong creativity, especially in visual elements

The majority of learners achieved the highest participation score, suggesting that the project design successfully encouraged active involvement. The combination of individual accountability and group responsibility helped prevent passive participation.

Writing confidence remained an area for growth — and that’s okay.

This was never meant to be a high-stakes academic intervention.

It was a bridge — keeping learners connected to English at a time when disengagement is common.

While some learners felt confident writing simple sentences, a significant number still required support. This highlights the importance of continued scaffolding and reinforces that the project prioritised engagement and confidence over writing accuracy.

What I Learned as a Teacher

This project reminded me that:

• engagement is a learning outcome

• joy is not a distraction from learning — it enables it

• young learners need emotional safety before academic risk-taking

Using a familiar mascot and familiar topics wasn’t a shortcut — it was a pedagogical choice.

And perhaps most importantly, I was reminded that post-exam periods don’t have to feel empty or rushed. With the right design, they can be meaningful, gentle, and deeply human.

Moving Forward

If I were to refine this project in the future, I would:

• include short oral recordings for richer evidence

• add more scaffolded writing support

• compare before-and-after samples more intentionally

But as it stands, Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island achieved what it set out to do:

👉 keep learning alive, joyful, and purposeful — even after exams.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what our learners need most 💚

 Week 2 on Wonderful Words Island was full of warmth, drawings, discoveries — and a handful of funny surprises. Our checkpoint this week focused on family and friends, and it turned into one of the most heartwarming weeks so far.

📖 Session 1: Shared Reading — “Piung’s Family”

We started with shared reading of “Perky

Piung’s Family”. Learners love hearing about Papa Piung, Mama Piung, Brother Piung and Sister Piung — the familiarity helps them make sense of the vocabulary.

Together, we explored words like:

mother, father, brother, sister, friend

Reading about a topic that is familiar to them is comforting to them; it makes learning feel communal and safe.

🌳 Before Session 2: Drawing Their Own Family Tree

Before moving into writing, learners drew their own family tree. Since they had drawn Perky Piung’s family tree in the previous session, they immediately understood what to do.

Their drawings were adorable and full of personality.

Some drew fathers with superhero muscles. 

Some lovingly showcased their baby sister. 

And a funny discovery:

Many didn’t actually know their siblings’ names — they wrote “Abang”, “Kakak”, or “Adik”, because that’s what they call them at home. It was such an honest glimpse into how children think about family.

But what amazed me most was how proud they were of their drawings. They paid attention to hairstyle, favourite colours, tiny details — their families really mean something to them.

✏️ Session 2: Guided Writing — Fill-in-the-Blank Paragraph

Next, learners completed a fill-in-the-blank paragraph about their family.

This was more challenging.

While they could identify “mother” or “brother” easily, the difficult part was choosing hobbies.

I learned a lot of funny family secrets this week:

“Teacher, my father likes sleeping". 

“My mother likes TikTok”.

“My baby sister likes crying.” 

Even though they struggled, they stayed motivated.

Some needed help identifying hobbies, but they tried and that effort is what matters most.

🎨 Session 3: Creative Work — Appreciation Cards

We ended the week with a simple but meaningful activity: appreciation cards.

Before starting, I taught them exactly what to write — they copied a short, clear sentence onto the card. This full guidance helped every learner succeed, including those with limited writing skills.

Once the writing was done, the magic happened.

They loved decorating their cards:

✨ colouring

🎀 drawing

💖 adding stickers

🌟 making it uniquely theirs

A simple sentence transformed into something filled with love and pride.

💭 My Reflection

This week was soft, sincere, and surprisingly funny.

The repetition across reading, writing, and drawing is starting to show results — they’re beginning to remember words, rely less on me, and feel more confident.

And even when support is heavily guided (like the appreciation card writing), their creativity takes over beautifully.

This week taught me that:

🌟 children express love openly

🌟 learning becomes meaningful when linked to real life

🌟 creativity makes even guided tasks feel personal

🌟 family is a topic that brings out their best stories

🌟 effort matters more than perfection

Week by week, step by step, the island becomes more alive — and with Piung cheering them on, we’re building not just language skills, but memories.

Our journey on Wonderful Words Island continued with two colourful and challenging sessions. This week, my learners worked in their Buddy Shell groups to create their “This Is Us!” posters — a task that required teamwork, creativity, and a little more thinking than the previous session.

🐚 Session 2: A Challenging Start, but a Creative One

This task required learners to introduce their Buddy Shell and their friends using simple dialogues. They had to draw speech bubbles and write what each friend was saying — something new and slightly abstract for many of them.

And yes, they did find it challenging at first.

Some were confused about where to place the speech bubbles, how to match the sentences with the drawings, or how to organise their poster. I needed to repeat instructions several times, and eventually asked a few of my more proficient learners to mentor three groups who were struggling.

These groups had mediocre to low English proficiency, so having a peer mentor beside them made a big difference — not just in understanding, but in confidence.

Despite the confusion, one thing carried them through the task beautifully:

✨ They absolutely enjoyed drawing and colouring.

Their joy in decorating their posters kept them engaged, even when the writing part felt hard. And sometimes, that little spark of enjoyment is all they need to keep going.

🌈 Session 3: “Ohhh, so that’s what the speech bubbles are for!”

When we moved into presentations in Session 3, something clicked.

As they took turns introducing their Buddy Shells in front of the class 

“We are the Coral Shell.”

“This is Aizat. He likes to play football.”

“This is Hana. She likes to look at shells.”

Many suddenly understood the purpose of the speech bubbles.

The moment they heard their classmates present, they realised how the drawings and dialogues worked together to show who they were as a group.

The room felt lighter.

The posters felt more meaningful.

And more learners were able to complete the task successfully.

Out of 30 learners, only 5 required extensive help with reading during the presentation, yay! celebration!!

                                   

💭 My Reflection

This pair of sessions reminded me that “challenging” doesn’t mean “unsuccessful.”

Sometimes, the struggle is a form of learning.

My learners are still building familiarity with English words through repetition — and I can already see how exposure is helping. Their progress wasn’t instant, but it was clear.

What mattered most was this:

🌟 They stayed engaged.

🌟 They worked together.

🌟 They enjoyed creating something of their own.

With each checkpoint on Wonderful Words Island, I hope they’ll continue growing more confident with the words they hear, say, and write. We’re moving slowly — but we are moving. And that’s a win I’m grateful for. 💛

Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island

Our adventure on Wonderful Words Island began with smiles, laughter, and a curious little turtle named Piung. 🐢✨

In this session, learners listened to the short story “Piung Wants to Meet New Friends” and joined in the fun Name-Action Game, saying things like:

“My name is Aisyah. I like to dance.”

“My name is Adam. I like to run.”

 

It was such a joyful way to reconnect with English after exams — a balance of movement, speech, and confidence-building.

💭 My Reflection

I was pleasantly surprised at how well my pupils understood the sentence structures. They remembered them easily and could say them with confidence.

When it came to writing about the things they like to do, many still needed guidance — but what touched me most was how independently they looked up activities in their textbook to find the right words! 💚

It reminded me that our previous learning truly stays with them, even when we don’t realise it.

Their ability to apply what they’ve learnt — that’s the kind of progress that fills me with quiet joy and gratitude.

They also absolutely loved decorating their work — colouring, adding stickers, and turning simple sentences into something proudly their own.

🌈 A Happy Start

This first session reminded me that learning doesn’t always need to be complicated — sometimes, it just needs to feel alive.

If the rest of the project stays as joyful and engaging as this session, I know we’re in for a wonderful journey on the island.

✨ 27 out of 29 learners submitted their work on time — a wonderful start indeed!

#PerkyPiung #WonderfulWordsIsland #TeacherAsniem #ProjectBasedLearning #EnglishYear2 #JoyfulLearning #FunWithEnglish #PrimaryEnglish #CreativeTeaching #CEFRinAction #AdventureInLearning #MalaysiaTeacher

 A 3-Week Project-Based Learning Journey for Year 2 English Learners

After the exam season, the classroom energy shifts — calmer, yet filled with the need for something refreshing. I wanted to design a learning experience that would keep my Year 2 learners engaged, active, and joyful, while still staying true to the learning standards.

That’s how Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island came to life. 🌴💬

This project is a 3-week Project-Based Learning (PBL) experience where pupils use English to explore stories, express themselves, and work together in creative ways — all led by their friendly classroom mascot, Perky Piung.

🌈 Why Perky Piung?

Perky Piung is more than just a mascot — she’s a curious, kind, and adventurous little turtle who loves meeting new friends and discovering new places. 🐢💚

Her sense of wonder and courage inspires my pupils to see English as something alive — a language that helps them share who they are and connect with others.

Through Piung’s adventures, learners journey across Wonderful Words Island, a place filled with imagination, colour, and meaning.

Each week, they visit a new checkpoint on the island — from introducing themselves to talking about the people and places they love. Every stop brings new opportunities to listen, speak, read, write, and create together.

🐚 Buddy Shells: Learning Together

To make the experience collaborative and manageable, my pupils work in groups of three, called Buddy Shells. Each Buddy Shell travels around the island, completing small English missions at every checkpoint.

Because many of my learners still need strong guidance — especially when writing — I guide them closely through structured activities like fill-in-the-blank tasks, sentence frames, and guided speaking. This helps them stay confident and supported as they build their language.

However, for my more proficient learners, I give them the freedom to decide how they’d like to express their ideas. They may change or expand their sentences if they wish — a small way to nurture creativity and ownership in their learning journey.

🌞 A Project Rooted in Joy

This project isn’t about perfect grammar or polished presentations — it’s about helping learners use English with heart.

Perky Piung’s Wonderful Words Island celebrates communication, collaboration, and confidence. Through stories, drawing, and shared tasks, learners experience how English can be playful, expressive, and deeply personal.

In every session, they laugh, move, create, and discover new ways to make meaning — not because they have to, but because they want to. 💖

💬 Follow the Journey

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing highlights from Wonderful Words Island — from our first introductions to the final island celebration.

Join me (and Perky Piung!) as we discover how language, storytelling, and imagination can make learning feel like an adventure worth taking. 🌴✨

#PerkyPiung #WonderfulWordsIsland #TeacherAsniem #ProjectBasedLearning #EnglishYear2 #JoyfulLearning #PrimaryEnglish #MalaysiaTeacher #FunWithEnglish #CreativeTeaching #CEFRinAction #AdventureInLearning

Hi, dear parents! 👋😊

This week, I’m inviting you to help your child with their reading at home. 🏡

I’ve created Reading Book 2 specially for them, and I would love for you to show it to your child and read along together. 💞👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Reading together helps build your child’s confidence and makes learning more fun! 🎉✨

Thank you so much for your support! 🙏🌟

Happy reading! 📘😊

📚💖 Jom Membaca Bersama Minggu Ini! 💖📚

Hai ibu bapa yang dikasihi! 👋😊

Minggu ini, saya ingin menjemput anda untuk membantu anak anda membaca di rumah. 🏡📖

Saya telah hasilkan Buku Bacaan 2 khas untuk mereka, dan saya amat berharap anda dapat tunjukkan buku ini kepada anak anda dan baca bersama. 💞👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Membaca bersama boleh meningkatkan keyakinan anak anda dan menjadikan pembelajaran lebih menyeronokkan! 🎉✨

Terima kasih atas sokongan anda! 🙏🌟

Selamat membaca! 📘😊

Love, Teacher Asniem❤️🐢