Deanne

An easy (ish) way to learn is to set your camera to AUTO. take a shot and look at what settings the camera "chose" for the shot. then switch to manual and copy those settings. Over time you will learn to read the light visually yourself. etc, and be able to use the manual settings.

Its also good to spend some time in the backyard at home, setting the camera to Av mode and taking shots at various settings, then swap to S(hutter) mode and do the same. Get on your computer and look at the shots and compare what happens when the Av mode is set to say 3.5 and what its like at 22. You will then learn what each setting does and how it affects your resultant images.

But the best thing is get out there and PRACTICE.