Writing is the most dreaded activity for my fourth grade students. Not only do they strongly oppose writing in all forms, they struggle to use the proper mechanics to communicate effectively with a targeted audience. My frustration with my students’ abilities to be effective writers led me to investigate the following question: “Will the implementation of selected lessons and activities taken from 6+1 Traits of Writing and Writer’s Workshop equip my students with the descriptive and mechanical writing skills they need to become proficient writers?” .