Hi, C. (what a cool name!!),
With a wee one that little, perhaps you could take the focus off his gaining academic skills and focus on all there is for him to learn about this world he lives in. It's been helpful for me to understand a couple of principles about how humans learn.
First and foremost, humans are learning machines. You cannot prevent us from learning. We *want* to learn. And, we learn *despite* things that are going on. We learn ALL the time. *Without* needing to be taught! Little humans learn at an incredible rate, and the way we humans learn is through our own process that has nothing to do with the "teacher." (Sorry folks, it's true!) Think about how we learn to walk and talk and function in society. Our moms didn't deliberately teach us how to walk; how would they have done that? We learned to walk (and the myriad other things we learned and continue to learn to do) by observation, imitation, reason. My point here is that learning is what *we* do. We are compelled to do it.
In our society, little people are distracted from their learning process by constantly having their attention drawn away from drinking in and understanding their environment to interpreting symbols like letters and numbers (which have no role in their world). Little kids are trying their best to understand the world, and we're only happy when they can tell us that this shape is "H" or whatever. What have they learned? Probably something more like: "It makes Mommy happy when I agree with her about what to call this shape." That isn't really learning the alphabet or how to read.
Kids learn to read by being read to. And, they don't really need to be taught, either. I know this because I have lived it. My son "taught" himself to read out of his need at that time in his life (when he developmentally was ready) to understand how to read. Reading is just one example of this.
My guess is that you won't likely find too many other folks telling what I'm telling you, but my whole point is that young people probably could do well to be focusing on learning other stuff than letters and numbers and shapes and colors. Things that may not be quantifiable but are, nevertheless, crucial and important to their development.
Rather than "teaching" those things, I would take long walks together in the woods (if that's what he likes to do). I would find out what *he* likes, what fascinates him, and then I would provide those things (but I would be willing to shift as he shifts ~ and he *will* shift!). I would listen ~ *really* listen ~ rather than talk so much. I would answer questions honestly and to the best of my ability, and when I couldn't answer a question, I would be honest about that and then help him find the answer. I would never ruin an experience by turning it into a "teachable moment." I would pursue things that interest me, and model that for my son (but not to the exclusion of allowing him to pursue his interests).
I would focus my efforts and attention on creating a rich, joyful, peaceful, loving environment for my son. Then, I'd get the heck out of his way!
I hope this has been helpful!!