College of Education > Faculty & Staff > Faculty A-Z > Kristin Whyte

Kristin Whyte

​​​Kristin Whyte is an assistant professor in the Teach​er Educa​tion​ program. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on early childhood education, culturally responsive teaching, and qualitative research methods. Upon completing her doctoral degree, she held a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University where she worked for​ Development and Research in Early Mathematics Education (DREME) on the PreK-3 Alignment (COHERE) project.

Kristin’s teaching and research focuses on early childhood teacher education, relationships between home and school, the construction of equitable education practices, and how early childhood actors experience policy efforts. As a former childcare, elementary, and prekindergarten teacher she cares deeply about creating humanizing, joyful, and intellectually engaging spaces for young children.

Education

  • PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • MS in Curriculum and Instruction (Early Childhood Emphasis), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
  • BS in Early Childhood Education (Teaching License Birth -Age 8), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Research Interests

Early Childhood Education, Teacher Education, Policy Implementation, Home-School Relationships, Early Mathematics Teaching & Learning, Educational Equity, Play, Qualitative Methods

Selected Publications

  • Whyte, K. L. (2025). Understanding a district’s vision for play. Teacher’s College Record. 127(4), 56-85. https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681251343804
  • Whyte, K. L., & Delaney, K. K. (2025). Exploring professionalization in early childhood: Reflections from a veteran Head Start teacher. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 26(2), 223-239. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491231206001
  • Whyte, K. L. (2024) How Do We Know? A Primer on the Nature of Knowing in Early childhood Research. In Understanding research in early childhood education: Quantitative and qualitative methods (pp. 11-22). Taylor & Francis.
  • Whyte, K. L. & Coburn, C. E. (2022). Understanding kindergarten readiness. The Elementary School Journal. 123(2), 344-361. https://doi.org/10.1086/721773
  • Whyte, K. L., Stein, M. A., Kim, D., Jou, N., & Coburn, C. E. (2018). Mathematics in early childhood: Teacher educators’ accounts of their work. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 39(3), 213-231. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2017.1388306
  • Whyte, K. & Karabon, A. (2016). Transforming teacher–family relationships: shifting roles and perceptions of home visits through the Funds of Knowledge approach. Early Years, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2016.1139546
  • Graue, M.B., Whyte, K., & Karabon, A. (2015).  The power of improvisational teaching.  Teaching and Teacher Education, 48(1), 13-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2015.01.014
  • Graue, M. B., Whyte, K., & Delaney, K. (2014) Fostering culturally and developmentally responsive teaching through improvisational practice. Journal of Early childhood Teacher Education. 35(4), 297-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2014.968296
    ​​