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Prosocial behavior develops in early childhood and takes root in moral and social norms as children grow older. Later on in their development, children perceive and initiate helping behaviors in a more complex manner according to moral conventions and their environment. Watching others perform prosocial actions can lead them to adopt more altruistic behavior. We present the major stages in the development of prosocial behavior and altruism in children, before moving on to discuss school programs for teaching them about prosocial behaviors and their effect on interpersonal interactions as well as on cognition.