My family has been enjoying our first winter with a fireplace. If we think it’s cold enough, my husband will lay the fire in the afternoon in preparation to light it as the sun goes down. The wood sits there, ready for when we need it.

Princeton theologian Archibald Alexander compared the catechesis of children to laying firewood in a fireplace. Wood will not provide warmth unless someone lights the fire. In the same way, knowing a catechism is not going to do a child any good unless the fire of the Spirit quickens his or her heart. But learning the catechism gives children knowledge of the deep truths of the gospel, which can fuel a lifetime of faith once their understanding grows.

In the recent article, “In Praise of Rote Learning: Why We Need Catechisms,” the authors compare memorizing a catechism to learning the alphabet. They write, “Children memorize the ABCs long before they can tell you how the alphabet works and why it’s important.” And just as a song helps kids memorize the ABCs, songs can teach your kids the catechism. (Check out “Songs from The New City Catechism” on Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Music or for the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Songs for Saplings’ “Questions with Answers.”) Playing catechism-based music in the car is one of the easiest forms of child discipleship, but the connection between music and memory also makes it one of the most effective.