As with any language i would recommend reading about the history and evolution of whatever particular language you're learning first (PHP in this case). If you know about how and why it came about it gives you a greater understanding of how and why things work before you've really started getting into too much hardcore coding. This way the learning process becomes quicker and more natural as it makes logical sense. You'll find yourself scratching your head for less time (although there will still be a lot of it!).