Blended learning has emerged as a widely adopted teaching approach across educational institutions, from primary to tertiary levels and across various disciplines. In the context of English as a Second Language (ESL), blended learning is particularly effective, allowing students to collaboratively practice language skills in the classroom while independently engaging with interactive and immersive online environments. This study investigates students’ performance in higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)-based reading tasks using traditional teaching methods and blended learning. It also aims to identify specific higher-order thinking skills that are more achievable for students. The research involved 25 Year 6 primary school students of mixed abilities from a school in the Perak Tengah district, Perak, Malaysia. The students participated in activities using both printed handouts and a digital workbook containing nine reading comprehension practices. Findings revealed that students demonstrated significant improvement in HOTS-based reading tasks compared to those taught using traditional methods. Notably, students showed greater development in evaluating skills than in analysing skills, despite evaluation being a higher-order skill in Bloom's Taxonomy. This study highlights the potential of blended learning to enhance student engagement and support the development of complex cognitive skills. The implications suggest that blended learning could be extended to incorporate a wider range of HOTS activities across various subjects. Future research should examine the long-term effects of blended learning on academic performance and cognitive development.