Disclosed is a method for providing a crystalline ceramic material. In an example, the method includes providing a silicon-containing preceramic polymer material that can be thermally converted to one or more crystalline polymorphs. The silicon-containing preceramic polymer material includes dispersed therein an effective amount of dopant particles. The silicon-containing preceramic polymer material is then thermally converted to the silicon-containing ceramic material. The effective amount of dopant particles enhance the formation of at least one of the one or more crystalline polymorphs, relative to the silicon-containing preceramic polymer without the dopant particles, with respect to at least one of formation of a selected polymorph of the one or more crystalline polymorphs formed, an amount formed of a selected polymorph of the one or more crystalline polymorphs formed, and a temperature of formation of the one or more crystalline polymorphs.