True or false: Good readers do not require a large storehouse of sight words in their memory if they have highly developed phonographic skills.

Good readers benefit from having a large storehouse of sight words in addition to their phonographic skills. While strong phonographic skills allow readers to decode unfamiliar words by sounding them out, a substantial repository of memorized sight words contributes significantly to reading fluency and comprehension. This is because many commonly used words in English do not follow standard phonetic rules and may not be easily decodable, particularly for beginning readers or those encountering new texts. Having these words recognized instantly enhances reading speed and understanding, enabling the reader to focus on the meaning of the text rather than decoding each word.

In this context, even readers with advanced phonographic skills will still find that a robust sight word vocabulary is essential for smooth and efficient reading.