Young children are capable of engaging with ratio, measurement and operator meanings of fractions earlier than many national curriculum standards indicate, yet current trends in children's understanding of fractions in Australia, remain weak. Research suggests that spatial reasoning can positively influence mathematical knowledge; however, the connection between spatial reasoning and fraction understanding remains under-researched. This paper will present qualitative data from a Design Based Research study that examined a spatialised approach for teaching fractions to 6-and 7-year-old children. Findings indicate that spatial reasoning played an important role in helping children develop early fraction knowledge.