Dr. Kate Puckett, Ph.D.

Dr. Kate Puckett is a long term early childhood educator who has worked as a teacher in a variety of programs, including Head Start, employer sponsored childcare, after school care, and in-home care. She began teaching college courses for early childhood majors at New Mexico State University while working as a mentor teacher in the NMSU School for Young Children, a laboratory school. In 2021 she received her doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include how early childhood teachers are influenced by policy reform particularly quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS), play as an evidenced based curriculum, and how adults decide how much risky play to allow children to participate in.

Course Regularly Taught:

• ECED 312 Child Development: Conception through Age 8
• ECED 317 Literature for Young Children
• ECED 319 Technology in Early Childhood
• ECED 411 Math Methods in Early Childhood
• ECED 412 Science Methods in Early Childhood
• ECED 414 Language Arts Methods in Early Childhood
• ECED 416 Creative Arts Methods in Early Childhood
• ECED 418 Multicultural Education in Early Childhood