My first lessons are, straight and level flight (this may sound easy, and it is to most, but hard to some),

Turns,
Boxing (or ovaling) the field (keeping all legs [the airplanes, not yours] square to the runway at all times, and closest leg right over the runway)
Figure "8's"
Takeoff
Then, back to boxing the field, only this time, each time the plane comes over the runway, you tell him/her to lose altitude. You tell them, "No, you're not going to land, you're practicing for the day you DO land." Every time they do well, you let them get lower next time, until one day when they have the right airspeed, altitude, and line-up, you just say, "Chop the throttle, and let it settle in."

Before they know it, they've made their first landing without getting nervous thinking about it.