Every child deserves excellent reading teachers because teachers make a difference in children's reading achievement and motivation to read. This position statement provides a research-based description of the distinguishing qualities of excellent classroom reading teachers. Excellent reading teachers share several critical qualities of knowledge and practice; they: (1) understand reading and writing development; (2) continually assess children's individual progress and relate reading instruction to children's previous experiences; (3) know a variety of ways to teach reading; (4) offer a variety of materials and texts for children to read; (5) use flexible grouping strategies; and (6) are good reading "coaches." In addition, excellent reading teachers share many of the characteristics of good teachers in general. They have strong content and pedagogical knowledge, manage classrooms so that there is a high rate of engagement, use strong motivation strategies that encourage independent learning, have high expectations for children's achievement, and help children who are having difficulty. (Contains 27 references and 13 related resources available from the International Reading Association.) (RS)