Final answer:
The statement is false; both a large storehouse of sight words and phonographic skills are important for good reading ability. Additionally, the manifest function of schools includes core educational goals such as teaching students to read and write.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that good readers do not require a large storehouse of sight words in their memory if they have highly developed phonographic skills is false. Sight words are common words that readers can quickly recognize without having to decode them. Although strong phonographic skills (the ability to sound out words) are important, having a robust sight word vocabulary is essential for reading fluency and comprehension. Readers with a large sight word vocabulary can more easily understand texts, as they do not have to stop and decode each word. This leads to a smoother reading experience and better comprehension of the text.
On the other hand, the manifest function of schools mentioned in the question is most accurately described by option b. Learning to read and write. This is one of the core purposes of educational institutions and is part of the explicit curriculum schools are expected to deliver.