Children learn more effectively if a concept proceeds from :

The maxims of teaching are general principles that guide the direction in which a teacher should sequence content so that instruction matches how children build understanding. Several maxims describe the recommended forward direction for introducing a concept: known to unknown, simple to complex, concrete to abstract, empirical (direct experience) to rational (abstract reasoning), and general/whole to specific/particular.

Only one of the given options states a maxim in its correct forward direction. Introducing a concept from the general to the specific lets learners first form a broad overview or framework of the idea and then fill in the specific instances and details — this is how children construct concepts most effectively, and it is the option confirmed by the official CTET Paper I (2023) answer key.

Why the other directions do not fit:

• Abstract to Concrete reverses the concrete-to-abstract maxim: children first grasp ideas through tangible, real experiences, and only later generalize them into abstract form.

• Complex to Simple reverses the simple-to-complex maxim: instruction should build from elementary ideas toward more intricate ones, not the other way round.

• Rational to Empirical reverses the empirical-to-rational maxim: direct, experience-based learning should precede purely logical or abstract reasoning.

So among the four directions offered, general-to-specific is the only one that matches an established, correctly-ordered maxim of teaching.