“Imitation is natural to man from childhood, one of his advantages over the lower animals being this, that he is the most imitative creature in the world, and learns at first by imitation.”

― Aristotle, Poetics

Birds learn to fly by mimicking their parents. Humans learn to speak from the role models who raise them. Learning by imitation is called Mimetic learning and is an essential part of human learning. Once they learn by observing and mimicking, they can create and innovate, doing what works for them based on their context and experience. For this reason, we love the grant program Every Child is an Artist, submitted by Ms. Michelle McNelley, where 40 or more kindergarten students in Washington Elementary School learn process-focused art through the styles of the Great Masters. 

Once they learn from artists like Georgia O’Keeffe (Realism), Paul Klee (Expressionism), and Leonardo da Vinci, ( (Renaissance), they create their own unique art using the given style. 

It encourages independent thinking while giving students a solid starting point, a process, and a foundation from which to work. It is up to each student to decide how their art will turn out. 

The Foundation 

The classroom portion begins with an age-appropriate reading of the artist’s biography and approach to art and a discussion of their style and technique. Each student creates their art in that style using various methods, such as chalk, cut and collage, drawing, painting, printing, sculpting, building, and constructing. 

This program fills a need at Lake Pend Oreille School District, which currently does not have a Fine Arts Curriculum and meets Idaho Content Standards (Fine Arts Standards – Visual Arts, Kindergarten).  

Kindergarteners learn about eleven great artists throughout the school year. They welcome local artists to participate and share their unique style and preferred media. These local artists inspire the students and provide a real-world connection to the art they are learning about.

Watch how the students engage with the program in this video from our visit in 2024. You see students explore, think, design, concentrate, cooperate, and help each other when more hands are needed.

The formal goals based on the Idaho Content Standards – Fine Arts include: 

• Enduring understanding. 
• Developing essential skills like creativity and innovative thinking. 
• Practicing constructive critique, reflecting on, revisiting, and refining work over time. 

The teachers assess these goals through each student’s year-end portfolio, which becomes a showcase of their growth and creativity. In March, each child selects two favorite art pieces to display during student-led conferences, accompanied by a personal quote explaining their choices. In June, the entire portfolio is sent home as a cherished collection, allowing families to celebrate their child’s journey as an artist. This thoughtful process not only tracks and celebrates each student’s progress but also nurtures their identity as an artist. What a joy for PAFE to support this inspiring and creative experience for kindergartners in our district!

Our teacher grants support Lake Pend Oreille School District educators to bring creative and innovative programs to the classroom. Because they are teacher-led ideas and not mandated by outside parties, they have a far more significant impact on the students. These grants fill gaps in funding with innovative programs to amplify our impact. If you’d like to support this, you can donate here.