Books for groep 3 — first Dutch reading books at AVI Start, M3 and E3
Which books suit a beginner reader in groep 3, the year Dutch children learn to read? The AVI levels Start, M3 and E3 explained, plus the nicest first readers, “growing books” and reading games per level — also as a gift for a child who is just learning to read.
By Sonja ·
In groep 3 something special happens: your child learns to read. Over the past school year my son went from recognising about ten letters to reading real little books together with me — and how wonderful that is to see! But it didn’t happen by itself, and the homework sheets from school didn’t exactly fill him with enthusiasm. Luckily there are plenty of fun books and games to get started through play.
Once we were a bit further along, we discovered the Agent en Boef books — spot on! The slapstick humour and lovely drawings made him wildly enthusiastic, and we’ve been hooked ever since. Blitz! is a big favourite here too: the nice sentence structure and funny stories about a little space man go down really well — and I secretly had to laugh myself at the nods to the peculiarities of humans.
With the right book, at the right level, reading stays fun and confidence grows by itself. Below you can read how AVI works, how reading builds up through groep 3 and what reader’s theatre is. After that you’ll find our selection of fun first readers and reading games — from the very first words (AVI Start) to happily reading on at the end of the year.
New to Dutch schools? Groep 3 in a nutshell
Dutch primary school runs from groep 1 to groep 8. Groep 3 is the year in which children — usually around age 6 — are formally taught to read and write, so it’s roughly the equivalent of Year 2 in England or first grade in the US. Reading levels at school are expressed in AVI levels, the Dutch reading-level system; for groep 3 that means Start, M3 and E3 (explained below).
Important for expat families: all the books on this page are Dutch-language books. That’s exactly what a child at a Dutch school needs, because they’re learning to read in Dutch — and the AVI level on the cover tells you straight away whether a book fits the level they’re reading at in class.
How does AVI work?
AVI is the reading-level system used in Dutch schools and on Dutch children’s books. It shows the reading level of both books and readers. That way you can choose a book that matches how well your child already reads — not too easy (boring) and not too hard (frustrating). The levels go up in this order:
- The letter stands for the point in the school year: M = Midden (middle, halfway through the year) and E = Eind (end).
- The number is the groep (school year). So AVI M3 = middle of groep 3, AVI E3 = end of groep 3.
- AVI Start is the very first level; AVI Plus the highest (fluent reading).
- For groep 3, Start, M3 and E3 are the ones that matter. The AVI level is usually printed on the back of the book, so you can choose in a targeted way.
How reading builds up in groep 3
Children learn to read at lightning speed in groep 3 — usually with a method such as Veilig leren lezen (the reading method used in many Dutch schools), in which the letters are introduced step by step in “kernen” (units). Roughly, it goes like this:
- Beginning (AVI Start): first single letters and sounds (the well-known maan – roos – vis: moon – rose – fish), then short three-letter words (bus, kat, vis).
- Middle (AVI M3): longer words, vowel combinations (eu, ui, oe) and more consonants (step, vlieg), and the first short sentences.
- End (AVI E3): longer sentences and the first real stories spanning several pages — time to clock up the reading miles!
A book that matches your child’s level at this moment keeps reading fun and achievable.
What is toneellezen (reader’s theatre)?
Toneellezen — reader’s theatre — is a lovely way to learn to read more fluently: your child reads a story aloud in roles, just like a little play. One person is the narrator, another a character — with voices and expression. Because you “perform” the text, reading feels like a game instead of an exercise.
Meanwhile you practise fluent reading, intonation and reading comprehension without noticing. Ideal to do together with parents, grandparents, a brother or sister. There are special reader’s theatre books (samenleesboeken, ‘read-together books’) in which the roles are marked with colours, so everyone knows when it’s their turn.
Our selection of books & reading games
Below is a selection, sorted by AVI level — from the very first words to happily reading on, plus reading games and thick “growing books”. All of them are Dutch-language books.
The product links are affiliate links: if you order through one, you support Kindkado with a small commission — at no extra cost to you. The shops are Dutch online shops that deliver in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the product names are in Dutch.
AVI Start — the very first words
Right at the start of groep 3: short words and sentences, big letters and lots of repetition. Perfect for clocking up those first reading miles — and for seeing how proud your child is when they read a whole page all by themselves.
Ik leer lezen Stickerboek - Een hut in de boom (AVI START / AVI 1)
* Amazon-prijs van 8 okt, kan afwijken
wat een lef!
Mijn grote AVI start boek over dieren
Kom in de hut — Het Grote AVI Start boek
AVI M3 — middle of groep 3
The words get longer and vowel combinations appear. Short, funny stories keep reading fun and achievable. Agent en Boef (‘Officer and Crook’) is spot on at this level: silly jokes, short sentences and drawings that carry the story. In my son’s class, half the boys gave their book talk about Agent en Boef — when a book gets children who have only just learned to read that excited, you know you’re onto something.
Agent en Boef - Lol in de lucht
Agent en Boef - De grap van boef-baard
Agent en Boef - De bouw-val
pim de post-duif. de brief van lin
Kip en Kat
Vos en Haas - Uil wil op reis
AVI E3 — end of groep 3
Longer sentences and the first real stories spanning several pages. Time to keep on reading! Blitz! by Rian Visser is a favourite here: pace, humour and short chapters that make your child want to read just one more bit. Do start with book 1 — it’s a real series, in which the characters are built up and the stories gradually get harder. Reading them in the right order is much more fun.
Agent en Boef - gekte onder de grond
Blitz!
Blitz! Op bol Tien
Ik hou van eenhoorns (maar de mijne is foetsie)
“Growing books” — thick collections
Collections of short stories at different AVI levels in one book. Ideal for discovering what your child enjoys, and for growing with through the year.
Super AVI's (AVI M3-E4) — Jette Schröder
Het Grote AVI Boek van Paul van Loon
Mijn zelfleesboek voor groep 3 (AVI Start-E3)
Suske en Wiske Junior - Mijn grote AVI-leesboek
Het grote groeiboek van Vos en Haas
Tijgers lezen
Learning to read through play
Practising reading without it feeling like practice: with games around letters and first words. Wonderful for children who aren’t (yet) so keen on “just” reading — and secretly they get plenty of reading practice out of it.
De Zoete Zusjes Letterkwartet (6+)
* Amazon-prijs van 12 sep, kan afwijken
Mini Loco pakket: Veilig Leren Lezen - kern 1 tot 6 (6-7 jaar) - Zwijsen Mini Loco
Mini Loco boekje: Voetbal, eerste woorden (taalspelletjes) (6-7 jaar) - Noordhoff Mini Loco
Loco mini Leesplezier AVI Start
Ik leer lezen! Memo-spel
Letterplons Tweeletterkwartet (6+)
Workbooks & magazines
Besides reading books, workbooks, practice books and children’s magazines are a fun, low-key way to practise — often with stickers, little tasks and short texts that feel just a bit different from “just” reading. Think of a practice book with reading exercises, a holiday book for the journey, or a magazine (subscription) such as Okki (made especially for groep 3) — something new through the letterbox to look forward to every time.
Oefenboek met stickers - Leuke leesoefeningen (6-7 j.)
Vos en Haas doeboek
Oefen je slim! Eerste reken-, schrijf-, en leesoefeningen (5-6 j.)
Tips to keep reading fun
- Choose by level: something slightly too easy actually gives reading pleasure and confidence; too hard backfires.
- Read together and take turns — and above all keep reading aloud, that stays important.
- Let your child choose what they enjoy (animals, funny, comic-style). Interest matters more than the perfect level.
- Short and often: ten minutes a day already works wonders.
- Celebrate the successes and don’t make it a chore.
- Try reader’s theatre for a change — reading as a game.
- Keep it up in the holidays: a few weeks without reading can easily cost beginner readers a bit of their level (the Dutch summer holiday lasts six weeks). A holiday or activity book with puzzles, stickers and short stories keeps it light — practice without calling it practice.
- Combine with drawing: does your child love drawing? Then draw a picture from their favourite book together — fun, and a lovely way to enjoy the story even longer.
Frequently asked questions
What is AVI Start?+
AVI Start is the very first reading level, right at the beginning of groep 3 (the year Dutch children learn to read, at about age 6). A child then reads short words and sentences with big letters and lots of repetition. After that come AVI M3 (middle of groep 3) and AVI E3 (end of groep 3).
What is AVI M3?+
AVI M3 stands for “midden groep 3” — the reading level children reach roughly halfway through groep 3. The words get longer, vowel combinations appear (such as eu, ui and oe) and children read their first short sentences.
What is AVI E3?+
AVI E3 stands for “eind groep 3” — the level at the end of the first reading year. Children then read longer sentences and their first real stories of several pages. After that comes AVI M4 in groep 4.
Which books are suitable for groep 3?+
Books at AVI Start, M3 or E3 match groep 3. Choose by level and by interest: a book that’s slightly too easy actually gives reading pleasure and confidence, while a book that’s too hard is demotivating. The AVI level is usually on the back cover. Keep in mind that these are Dutch-language books — which is exactly what a child learning to read at a Dutch school needs.
My child still finds reading hard — what can I do?+
Feel free to choose something easier (below their level is fine!), read together or take turns, and above all keep reading aloud. Keep it short and positive — ten minutes a day already works wonders — and try reader’s theatre for a change. If reading keeps being a struggle, talk to the teacher.
How do I know which AVI level my child has?+
The teacher determines this with an AVI test; feel free to ask about it at school. Because the AVI level is also printed on books, you can use it to choose a book that fits where your child is right now.
What is a groeiboek (“growing book”)?+
A groeiboek is a thick collection of short stories at different AVI levels in one book — for example from AVI Start to E3, or from M3 to E4. Your child starts with the easiest stories and gradually works towards the harder ones. Handy, because one book lasts the whole school year and your child notices for themselves how much progress they’ve made.
Which book makes a nice gift for a child in groep 3?+
Choose something just below or at your child’s level, and let their interests lead: funny, animals, comic-style or exciting. A thick groeiboek is a lovely gift because it lasts a long time, and a reading game goes down well with children who don’t (yet) reach for a book by themselves. Not sure of the level? AVI M3 is a safe bet for a child halfway through groep 3.
How do I keep up the reading during the summer holiday?+
Six weeks without reading can easily cost beginner readers a bit of their reading level — the so-called zomerdip (summer dip). You don’t have to turn it into schoolwork: an activity book or holiday book with puzzles, stickers and short stories often works better than an ordinary reading book, because it doesn’t feel like practice. Ten minutes a day is already enough.
More gift inspiration?
A beautiful book makes a wonderful gift. Also see our gift ideas for ages 5–6 and ages 7–8 for even more reading and gift ideas.
A book is also a lovely school report gift to celebrate that first reading year. And looking for something for the summer? Then have a look at the nicest holiday and activity books.