I took sewing as an elective in school, but my daughters learned by watching and doing. First they had to get over their fear of the machine, so I just had them sew straight seams for me,and once they got over their fear, they picked up the rest from asking questions and watching.
There are some great books and even magazines that will show step by step how to master a particular skill. They usually explain why you do things that you do. I've seen a couple of sewing related tv shows that have some good instruction as well.
'Easy' patterns sometimes aren't easy, because they simplify the steps so much that there is not enough direction, but I know people who have used 'sewing for dummies' patterns and were happy with them.
Our local fabric store offers classes in bothbasic sewing and in knowing how to use your machine. Even though I have been sewing for a long time, I find their class very helpful when I get a new machine.