Read your hands for the nine times table
The special pattern of the 9 times tables lets us use our fingers to read the answers.
Follow the drawings on your own fingers:

Lay your hands flat on the table.
Think about 2 × 9. Start from the left and count each finger. When you get to 2, tuck that finger down. Then you can read the answer to the question. Count the fingers to the left of the finger you tucked in. That is the first digit. Count the fingers to the right of the finger tucked in. That is the second digit. Count your thumbs as fingers. (Never count the finger you tuck in; it just separates the first digit from the second digit.)

Let’s do one more, 4 × 9 = ________

Lay your hands flat on the table. Think about 4 × 9. Start from the left and count each finger. When you get to 4, tuck that finger down. Read your hands: 3 to the left of the tucked finger and 6 to the right of the tucked finger. Answer: 36. (Remember not to count what you tuck in; it just separates the first digit from the second digit.)
Count your thumbs as fingers.