This paper exposes how function words and their prosodic features play a part in learning and teaching to read in the early years. It sketches the place that function words have in the grammar of English and describes their phonological features, especially their weak stress and its role in the prosodic quality of sentences. It considers the ways that function words and their prosodic features have a place in promoting fluent reading, taking into account accurate recognition of function words and well-paced phrasing.