I taught my oldest with MFW phonics. However, she was a terrible speller. When I found the OG method, I never looked back. Different from others here, I really like The Phonics Road to Reading and Spelling after using Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Their similarity is in how they teach phonics. They all start with consonant vowel blends, ie. ba, be, bi, bo, bu etc. Abeka and Adventures in Phonics also have a phonogram marking system. Why not go ahead and use only the phonics program from MFW?

Phonics Pathways, Abeka Phonics, Adventures in Phonics all teach in the same way MFW does.

Here is a link to using Phonics Pathways. https://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2014/09/phonics-pathways-lesson-plans.html

The picture books are leveled 1.0 - 4.5 throughout the lessons (so they gradually increase in difficulty). In the link I shared, the lady explained that she had used 100 easy lessons then started Phonics Pathways on page 48. She developed a 180 day lesson plan to finish the book. She also included a "reader" (picture book) with every lesson until PP was finished. By the end of the Phonics Pathways lesson plans she developed, the level picture book the child is reading is between 4.0-4.5 grade level.

I know you menitioned maybe Reading Pathways not being a good fit, but Phonics Pathways is thorough. Here is a link to Phonics Pathways Lesson Plans tied to picture books. https://cornerstoneconfessions.com/2014/09/phonics-pathways-lesson-plans.html I also second Memoria Press Storytime Treasures with their Traditional Spelling.

Though I haven’t used it, Memoria Press Trafitional Spelling looks really good.

Biblioplan fits what you are looking for. So does Mystery of History.

Rod and Staff Spelling hands down if you want something similar to AAS in workbook format.

I never did a formal pre-k with any of my older kids. But, I used Right Start A and B with my now 8th grader when she was K & 1st, and we liked it. The thing holding me back now is the up front cost. I made some Montessori beads to look like the beads on the AL Abacus and am using those for quantity and number sense right now. She won't be 4 until the end of April, but identifies 1-10 and can count as many objects, but I realized she was still not understanding one to one correspondence, so we are working on that. She is my 5th child by almost 8 years, so we are essentially starting over. I just found it interesting that you are using the exact same line up I have been thinking about for her pre-k year. I was thinking Good and Beautiful Math K for the very reason that it doesn't look advanced, so very doable for a 4 year old. She also knows her initial letter sounds, but isn't quite ready to blend. I have LOE Foundations A in hand, so in the meantime, I've started teaching all the sounds of the single phonograms. We were/are successful with CLE to Principles of Mathematics 1 & 2 to videotext for math with my two middle dd's. We tried Singapore early on. It just wasn't our cup a tea. lol. I'm not sure I will go any further than pre-k homeschooling my youngest, though.

The things you are doing with your son is exactly what I'm planning in the fall for my soon to be 4 year old. However, I'm deciding between Right Start A, Good and Beautiful K or Abeka for math. How are you liking the MP pre-k? Are you only doing recitation, read aloud and craft? I've been slowly collecting the read aloud books. Also, how is LOE going? I'm just waiting for the correct time to begin.

If you don’t want teacher intensive like AAS, Rod and Staff spelling will reinforce rules and mesh well with what was taught in Abeka. It’s workbook, but quick and painless.

If they struggle on the odds, do you go over it that day then do the evens the same day? Also, if they struggle with quiz A, do they study then take quiz B the same day? I feel like we need to speed up a bit and haven’t been sure how.

Abeka teaches the same way. You could pick up the grade 1 workbook. It’s colorful, too.

Historically, cursive was taught first, even in the U.S. It helps prevent b & d confusion, among other benefits. Children grow up knowing how to read print and cursive. It really isn't an issue. Two of my children learned cursive first and only. They picked up manuscript by osmosis, and they utilize both on a daily basis.