I started with the basic tutorials like those found on Tizag. I found a few Ebooks to read in my freetime and immediatly started to write what I was learning, using it in anyway possible.

I also checked out other tutorials from Pixel2Life.com and various other sites, just to see how people were using code to get certain tasks done. It helps you understand the dynamics of performing certain tasks and using built in functions.

One thing - never copy and paste code. It will not help you learn, it will only impede the learning process. Write what you see, and eventually work on adding your own little scraps in, even if it doesn't do anything special. You will start to understand the syntax a lot quicker.

Most importantly, stick with it. It seems hard and complicated at first, but it will eventually come together. I remember when I first started learning I thought I would never figure the language out. And sure, there are some things I don't have experience with, but that's what the PHP manual is for. Once you have a good understanding of the language and can do basic things, head over to the manual, sift through things you've never worked with ( like for me, I am trying to focus on learning all the built in array functions and their purpose ) and try them out, writing code to work with them.