Michelle Anthony, M.A., Ph.D.
Reyna Lindert, Ph.D.
The Duo



(Top) Michelle Anthony, M.A., Ph.D.
Having graduated with honors in 1991 with a B.A. in Educational Studies from Brown University, Dr. Anthony went on to get her Master's in Child Studies and K-3 Teacher's Certificate in 1993 from Tufts University. Dr. Anthony also received her certification in ASL and Deaf Studies in 1996 from Northeastern University in Boston. After teaching in early childhood classrooms for five years, she returned to school and got her doctorate in Developmental Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley. She spent three years doing research in the Sign Language Acquisition Lab as well as the Child Language Lab at the Institute for Human Development at UC Berkeley. Her dissertation examined how ASL enhances language development, cognition, and literacy.

Dr. Anthony has also worked as a learning specialist with elementary and middle school students and has taught graduate classes in the University of Colorado at Denver School of Education and at Saint Mary's College School of Education. Dr. Anthony is a preferred provider of both Developmental Pathways and Denver Options, teaching developmentally-delayed children and their parents/caregivers how to use signs and Signing Smart strategies to enhance communication and learning. She is mother to three signing children.

 
(Top) Reyna Lindert, Ph.D.
Dr. Lindert is a certified parent educator with broad experience working with young children and their families. She graduated with distinction with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University. She then earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. She spent five years doing research in the Language and Cognition, the Sign Language Acquisition, and the Child Language Labs at the Institute of Human Development at UC Berkeley. Her dissertation examined the ways in which ASL can enhance communication and foster extended parent-child interactions about child-friendly themes. Dr. Lindert has been signing for more than 15 years, and her ASL certificate comes from Vista Community College, nationally renowned for sign language instruction. She has worked extensively in the Deaf community, including as a student teacher in a class of toddlers at the California School for the Deaf.

Complementing her work with Signing Smart, Dr. Lindert also runs interactive Parenting Smart workshops for families with preschoolers. She is mother to three signing children.


(Top) The Duo    
Dr. Anthony's and Dr. Lindert's work with Signing Smart is multifaceted, and it includes work as authors, researchers, teachers, teacher-trainers, and product developers.

They are the authors of Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers: A parent's strategy and activity guide, a newly released book published by St. Martin's Press. Similar in philosophy to all their programming, this book was designed from the perspective that children learn best in meaningful interactions with their parents or caregivers. Signing Smart with Babies and Toddlers is full of simple and research-proven strategies for signing with hearing children, as well as more than 70 engaging and rich interactions for parents and children to enjoy together. Drs. Anthony and Lindert have also authored seven complete training curricula, as well as three organizationally-produced handbooks to accompany the Beginner, Intermediate, and Holiday Play Class Series. To find out more about these books, as well as other Signing Smart materials, see our Store.

Drs. Anthony and Lindert conduct ongoing research related to the linguistic, cognitive, and emotional development of children in their Signing Smart programs. They recently completed a national study of the language development of children whose families have used Signing Smart programming for at least 8 weeks. They are currently preparing the results for publication. See the Research section of this site for the results of these and other projects completed by the founders.

Currently, Drs. Anthony and Lindert teach popular Signing Smart Play Classes and Workshops for hearing infants, toddlers, parents, and childcare providers in their respective cities. They also train facilitators around the US and abroad to run Signing Smart Play Classes and Workshops, and they interview potential new instructors on a regular basis. To find an instructor in your area, see Programs and Locations. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Signing Smart Instructor yourself, see our Become an Instructor page.

In terms of product development, Drs. Anthony and Lindert have created an award-winning 30-minute commercial children's video for hearing babies 3-36 months that integrates playful and engaging images with American Sign Language (ASL) signs. The video includes a wonderful parent-strategy section at the end. They have also created a series of Signing Smart flashcards on a convenient-to-carry ring designed to engage and teach adults and children alike. For more on these and other products, see our Store.

Through their work in these various venues, Drs. Anthony and Lindert reach thousands of families and caregivers each year and help bring the magic of Signing Smart into their homes and classrooms. We are excited to share our unique and family-friendly Signing Smart program with you and yours!