The purpose of this study was to investigate whether introducing schematising to children in early childhood (ages five to six) promotes better learning outcomes in later mathematics (age seven). This was done using a longitudinal, quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design. With the help of teachers and a teacher-trainer, pupils in the experimental group of our research study were exposed to, and participated actively in, schematising activities over the course of a year during their early childhood. In grade two (ages five to six) at three Dutch primary schools, children practised schematising emerging from play activities. In the control group, children were not "trained" nor did they participate in schematising activities. We hypothesised that the experimental group would demonstrate an enhanced ability in schematising and mathematics. In this article, the research outcomes of our study on the differences in the performance of schematising and mathematical development between both groups are presented. We conclude that pupils in the experimental group demonstrated significantly better results on schematising and mathematics. (Contains 8 tables and 5 figures.)