My son used both the writer and alpha smart in grades 4 and 5 to prepare for a laptop in grade 6. (he attends an LD school and all students get laptops in sixth grade). The writer has a good typing program built in. It is pretty basic, teaches homerow and proper keyboarding and has many timing options for kids that are slower to catch on.
In the summer my son uses type to learn - you can get it through scholastic.
These word processors are good for getting kids started - but by middle school I believe that the complexity of their work demands a laptop with Word and a full screen.
