I usually stick with 3-card or 5-card spreads for beginners. Instead of memorizing what each position means, I just let them tell the story as they lay out.
My usual rule of thumb is that beginners should always take their time with the guidebooks and be strict with the card meanings because that’s how you learn to read Tarot combinations. But with the spreads and positions you can (and should) be a lot looser and let your intuition guide you. Pull more cards as qualifiers.
With 3 cards, you can see how they connect to each other, and 5 cards give you more to work with. I like checking which way the figures are facing, like if they’re looking at each other or turning away. Sometimes that tells you as much as the actual card meanings. It’s easier than trying to remember what position 7 means in a Celtic Cross or whatever. You just put the cards down and see what story comes through.