There isn't an "ideal age" to learn ice skating.

I teach children as young as age 3 and adults into their 70's! 

As long as your child can walk well and is toilet trained, they can begin private lessons. 

Children develop at different rates so what will work for one beginner, may not work for another. If your child has a lot of difficulty, you can always try again in a few weeks, or months. 

The ability to ice skate can add to a child's overall development of motor skills. 

Many skaters start in group lessons as they are great introduction to skating.

There is no right or wrong way to begin skating. What is most important is that the choice you make fits your budget and schedule.

If a skater begins to struggle with a particular element in group lessons, or by the time they reach Aussie Skate 3 or 4, private lessons are suggested as a supplement as the skills become more challenging at these levels. 

Skaters that are interested in doing competitions should have a private lesson coach to properly prepare. 

I teach both group and private lessons. However, if you sign-up for group lessons your coach will be assigned by the rink.

A good general rule is to practice outside of lessons, as often as you take lessons.

If you have one half-hour lesson each week, you'll want to practice for another half-hour outside of the lesson.

If you take two half-hour lessons each week, you'll want to make sure that you practice for at least two half-hour sessions.

You can do more of course but this is ideal for young skaters who are just starting out, If you have the dedication, budget, and time to spend hours on the ice every week with multiple lessons, you will progress faster and have more proficiency. 

To make the most of your time on the ice, off-ice warm-ups and cooldowns are recommended before each skating session or lesson.

Ice Skating Australia is our National Figure Skating Association it’s a non-profit organization and the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in Australia. It is a recognized member of the International Skating Union (ISU). 

Ice Skating Australia regulates and governs the sport and defines and maintains the standard of skating proficiency. It specifies the rules for testing, competitions, and all other figure skating-related activities. Ice Skating Australia promotes interest and participation in the sport by assisting member clubs, skaters, and athletes, appointing officials, organizing competitions and other figure skating pursuits and offering a variety of programs. Athletes and officials who represent Australia at international figure skating competitions are selected by Ice Skating Australia.

Aussie Skate offers programs for skaters of all ages and abilities through local rinks.

Acquiring good, fundamental, efficient skills with proper technique is necessary.

You need the basics in place first to achieve more complex elements such as jumps and spins. 

Madonna uses skill progression to achieve long-term development and the future success of the skater.

Every skill builds on another, and higher-level elements are comprised of the building blocks of lower levels. If there is a break in the chain of skill development, a skater's progress can suffer.

Introducing an element to a skater before they have the necessary skills in place can lead to frustration, injury, and lack of success, often resulting in the skater leaving the sport. 

A skater struggling with an element such as forward crossovers, for example, may not be able to hold proper forward edges securely or may not have a steady one-foot glide. These skills are necessary to execute forward crossovers correctly, so improving the earliest skills as a component to the desired skill works to ensure success. 

Gaps in skills will become more apparent when trying to properly execute more complicated elements. Improper technique, from basic skills that have been rushed, are often very difficult to change. 

So, Madonna will introduce the appropriate skills when you have mastered the fundamental skills that are required to properly execute that particular element.