In this talk I will describe the results of a series of recent longitudinal and neuroimaging studies that suggest that children’s development of symbolic number knowledge shapes how the processing of non-symbolic numerical quantities (numerosity processing) develops. Against the background of this evidence, I will argue that the acquisition of symbolic number knowledge serves as an attentional filter for the ontogeny of numerosity processing. I will also show that relationships between basic number processing and children’s development of mathematical skills varies across context. I will argue that for progress to be made in understanding the development of numerical cognition a more inclusive approach is necessary that goes beyond the study of White Educated Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) is necessary.