By: Derry Koralek, Ray Collins. Play is the work of children  through play and interaction, children learn how to talk, listen, read, and write. Read about typical behaviors of emergent and beginning readers, and how each of these behaviors relate to reading and writing.
After years of civil war, Ireland became a republic in 1921. At this time, Britain negotiated with Ireland to keep the six counties in the north-east of Ireland. These six counties now make up what is known as Northern Ireland or Ulster. The southern part of the island is the Republic of Ireland, or Eire.
The Republic of Ireland emerged from a protracted struggle with the British Government during the first half of the nineteenth century, leaving the landmass of 'Ireland' divided into two. Self-government initially returned to Southern Ireland in 1922 when the country became a 'Free State' in the British Commonwealth.