In first grade, the girls start getting catty and it may not look overtly like bullying. For a sensitive child, it can be devastating. DD is now 8 in third grade, but starting in first grade the girls got really possessive. She considered one girl a good friend, but so did another girl. The other girl got jealous and made up lies such as "G said she doesn't like you and doesn't want to be your friend." She would tell "G" not to play with DD and G would go along with it. Teachers don't generally notice these kind of interactions. DD would come home at times very moody. I bought her some American Girl books about how to deal with social situations/mean girls and she poured over them. Don't know if that would help (if it's really an issue). Your DD may not want to talk about it with you for whatever reason. To me, this sounds more like a social problem than an academic problem (in terms of her not liking school). Is it possible that in some of the "specials" like gym, the teacher makes kids pair up and choose partners? That could be devastating if the girls are fighting over who will be their partner. She may be using "boredom" as an excuse, although there is probably some of that going on too.