Another method is to:

Shoot on manual with an ISO of 800. 
If you are using the kit lens, the aperture should be around 3.5 to 5.0
Play with the shutter speed to get the desired speed, it should stay in the realm of 1/30th - 1/125th.
Experiment and play with the different settings. 

Shooting in RAW is also a great tool. Using the Digital Photo Professional software that comes with the camera, you can adjust (with in reason) the exposure and white balance of the image. Using Adobe Camera RAW (with CS3) you can take even more control. 

Most important is to have fun. The more fun you have the better the photos will look. 

Along with the 50mm lens:
Canon has their plastic 50mm f1.8 lens. You can buy them use for as little as $45 (U.S.) and new for around $100 (U.S.)  Of the lenses that I have, the 50mm (Canon's Fantastic Plastic, of the Nifty Fifty) it is the one that I use the most, and get the best results out of. 

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