Do you teach phonetic spelling or proper spelling in Kindergarten?

You do not need to choose one approach over the other. Kindergarteners will use both methods of spelling. Some words such as: the, it, is, am, I, etc. can be spelled correctly right from the start. Other words may be more challenging such as "hamburger". In that situation it is important to teach the child to listen for all of the individual sounds in the word. Hamburger might look like "hambrgr".

Along with lots of writing practice, children need lots of practice seeing words in print as people read to them. A combination of learning the sounds needed in words and then learning the patterns of many words will lead to good spelling in the future.

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Kindergarten, like grade one, should use correct spelling. When you teach phoenetic spelling, then switch to correct spelling, you are, in effect, making the children learn two different spelling techniques. It's much easier just to begin with correct spelling so they assimilate the look of the word, as well as the meaning and the spelling.

At one time, people used to use 'baby talk' with young children, with the result that their kindergarten or primary grade teachers had to teach them was was virtually a whole new language - English as it was spoken by everyone over the age of six.

In Kindergarten, children are just beginning to put down on paper the sounds that they hear. It will be "phonetic" at first until they are taught grammatical rules. Forcing them to spell correctly from the start can have the adverse affect of giving them "writers block". They should enjoy the creativity of the writing process and expressing themselves. As they learn the rules of grammar, their writing will become more sophisticated and their spelling will gradually approach the correct spelling.

"Sight words" are usually taught in kindergarten, and the correct spelling of those are taught from the start - usually 30 words in kindergarten. Words like: is, am, you, are, we, etc.

You should always teach proper spelling, no matter how young.

Teaching a child to spell incorrectly is only going to hurt them later, and if they do not understand rules (such as knife, or gnat, or silent e's) then just tell them that is how it is spelled, or do not try to teach those words as children of that age can't always grasp proper grammar rules.

You would be doing them an incredible diservice by not correcting their spelling. Proper spelling and grammar is a habit, not a talent.

How is it even an option given you by your admin to allow phonetic spelling?

For God's sake teach them the rules of spelling, they're kids not brain damaged!!! Trust me, spelling is not organic, that means that kids will not 'pick it up' like speaking.