Chew it up and spit it out??

My DS is 14 months old. He wouldn't touch solids until 11 1/2 mos. He has always refused to be spoon fed and will not touch any thing pureed or runny. I have been giving him finger foods like cheese slices, crackers, small pieces of meats and veggies.

He will put most foods in his mouth, chew them well and either spit them out, or pull them out with his fingers. He will then take another bite. He has molars, so the food is well chewed and could be swallowed if he wanted to. Even crackers and cheerios end up spit out. He is also teething, so he has plenty of saliva. I also give him water w/ meals.

I can tell from his diapers that he's swallowing something, but most of his food ends up half chewed on his shirt. Is this normal (whatever that means)? Any ideas how to teach him to swallow? I am ignoring DH's idea to close his mouth and stroke his throat like we do with the dogs!!